P1325VASCULAR ACCESS OUTCOMES IN A FRAIL HAEMODIALYSIS POPULATION

Abstract Background and Aims Current guidelines recommend the pursuit of arteriovenous (AV) access over central venous catheter (CVC) access in haemodialysis (HD) populations. The limitations of this approach are increasingly recognised, and are particularly relevant when considering frail patients with relatively high levels of comorbidity and limited life expectancy. In such patients AV access may incur more invasive procedures, whereas CVC access may incur heightened risks of infection. This study aimed to evaluate the association between HD access modality and access complications, hospitalisation and mortality in a cohort of HD patients with frailty. Method We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively recorded data from the Strathclyde Electronic Renal Patient Record concerning HD patients from 01/10/2017 to 21/09/2019. HD patients with a Rockwood clinical frailty scale (CFS) ≥6 were identified with baseline demographic data being recorded from date of first CFS ≥6 to census date 21/09/19 or death. We recorded the first vascular access modality at study inception and the modality at the time of census or death. Episodes of TCVC associated sepsis were determined using both clinical diagnosis in patient case records and positive blood cultures. Episodes were regarded as separate where positive blood cultures occurred ≥14 days apart. An inpatient admission was regarded as a discharge date ≥24 hours following admission. These were then further categorised as unscheduled or elective. Results 139 patients were identified with CFS ≥6. Median age was 72 years and 51% were female. Median follow-up was 1.1 years with total 50861 observed HD days. 52.3% patients were deceased at census. Table 1 illustrates vascular access modality at initial CFS. CVC accounted for the greatest proportion of dialysis access days (50.3%) compared to AVF (40.7%) and AVG (8.9 %). Table 1: Vascular access modality at first clinical frailty score No. of patients TCVC (%) non-TCVC (%) AVF (%) AVG (%) Total 139 53.6 4.3 32.9 8.6 CFS 6 87 52.9 6.9 29.9 10.3 CFS 7 49 55.1 0 36.7 4.1 CFS 8&9 5 40.0 0 40.0 20.0 There was no significant difference in mortality between vascular access modalities over the follow-up period (50.7% CVC; 55% AVF; 54.5% AVG, p=0.18). In total, 5244 HD exposed days (10.3%) were spent as an inpatient during follow-up, of which 5120 (98%) were unscheduled and 119 (2%) were elective. The AVG group had the highest rate of inpatient bed days (138/1000 HD days)